A NEW £250million electric vehicle (EV) test facility has been opened by Jaguar Land Rover at its engineering centre in Coventry, which has created 350 new jobs.
Over 200 EV engineers are already working at the facility, which opened on Monday, and a further 150 roles are set to be created.
JLR has announced it will be planning to invest another £22million next year to further upgrade the Coventry site.
The 323,000 sq ft engineering facility in Whitley will be developing Electric Drive Units (EDUs) as it looks to launch nine electric luxury models by 2030.
It will also host more than £40million worth of innovative equipment for the rapid testing of EVs, including electric test rigs and electric vehicle systems test cells.
The site contains extreme-weather climate chambers, which can simulate conditions from -40°C and up to 55°C.
JLR’s next electric vehicle, the Range Rover BEV, is due to launch next year and will be one of the models undergoing hundreds of thousands of hours of testing in the city.
Its EDUs will be designed, developed and tested by Coventry engineers.
The facility is part of the company’s £15billion investment to electrify its luxury brands over the next five years.
From 2035, the sale of new diesel and petrol cars will be banned in the UK.
The firm said it was aiming to minimise the cost of, and the emissions associated with, sending fleets of prototype cars around the world for test assessments through testing EVs in Coventry.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “With the opening of this new Future Energy Lab in Coventry – a multi-million pound investment in engineering – JLR are doubling down on their commitment to electrification in the months and years ahead.
“This announcement also means that local people stand to benefit hugely – equipping them with the skills they need to succeed in this sector and the employment opportunities to match.”
